Nice shot and interesting post.About a couple of months ago I saw a documentary (can't remember if it was Discovery or NatGeo or History channel) about the President's photographer ... apparently the photographer takes photos of the president all day long and he is not permitted to delete even a single photo, even if it is a crappy shot.

If he went down to f1.2 the background would be putty with zero possibility of seeing the flag etc... This is not an exercise in how to get the most bokeh...but to document the president with some national symbols in the background...With even f/7+ it is blurry but i guess he wanted the prez to stand out while still being able to get a sense of the flag and the background.

Any L lens portrait prime such as 85 or 50L or even cheapo non-L portrait primes wide open would have had the same issue...even stopped down to f/4. If he has to stop down, might as well use the best he has...after all he is photographing the president.

If he went down to f1.2 the background would be putty with zero possibility of seeing the flag etc... This is not an exercise in how to get the most bokeh...but to document the president with some national symbols in the background...With even f/7+ it is blurry but i guess he wanted the prez to stand out while still being able to get a sense of the flag and the background.

Any L lens portrait prime such as 85 or 50L or even cheapo non-L portrait primes wide open would have had the same issue...even stopped down to f/4. If he has to stop down, might as well use the best he has...after all he is photographing the president.

I agree. F/7.1 is an excellent choice here. Every aperture is useful. Which is right depends on how you want to draw the picture.

Still lost...why especially 70-200 II ? So he can poke everyone with the huge white barrel? This occasion doesn't call for a zoom...especially such a huge zoom...the president is not a telephoto subject moving around like a bird needing zooming or IS... it is a posed portrait.

If he went down to f1.2 the background would be putty with zero possibility of seeing the flag etc... This is not an exercise in how to get the most bokeh...but to document the president with some national symbols in the background...With even f/7+ it is blurry but i guess he wanted the prez to stand out while still being able to get a sense of the flag and the background.